Eva Longoria is laughin’ last…
The 50-year-old Mexican American actress, director and producer will re-team with Searchlight Pictures to helm author Xochitl Gonzalez’s film adaptation of her novel Anita de Monte Laughs Last.
Longoria also will produce the film through Hyphenate Media Group, her production company with Cris Abrego, along with Jada Miranda.
The New York Times bestseller tells the story of a first-generation Ivy League student who uncovers the genius work of a female artist decades after her suspicious death. Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a propulsive examination of power, love, and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.
The book was on Reese’s Book Club Pick and listed as Best Book of 2024 by Kirkus, Time, NPR, Goodreads, Electric Lit and more.
Longoria and Searchlight last teamed on the 2023 feature Flamin’ Hot, which served as the multi-
hyphenate’s feature directorial debut. Based on the novel A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive by Richard Montañez, the feature stars Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez and Tony Shalhoub. The dramedy received written by Yvette Chávez and Lewis Colick earned multiple awards and nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
SVP Production’s Taylor Friedman and creative executive Daniel Yu will be overseeing Anita de Monte Laughs Last for Searchlight Pictures, reporting to co-heads of production and development DanTram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas.
Gonzalez published her debut novel Olga Dies Dreaming in 2022, which became a New York Times bestseller and was ordered to pilot by Hulu, which Gonzalez adapted.
She is a staff writer at The Atlantic and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her work there
Longoria’s recent work also includes Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain, an eight-part CNN Original series chronicling her immersive gastronomic journey across Spain, following the success of her previous Searching for Mexico.
It was also recently announced that Longoria will expand the “Searching For” franchise with Searching for France, which is in production.
Through her Hyphenate Media Group, Longoria champions creator-led stories for global audiences.
She has a history of directing over the last decade, with past credits including the boxing documentary La Guerra Civil for DAZN.
Up next, she will also direct the Paula Pell-penned Netflix comedy The Fifth Wheel with Gloria Sanchez producing.
